Cash Wreath

Cash Wreath

Many years ago, while I was on vacation in Michigan, We were exchanging gifts around my Grandmas christmas tree. My aunt Pat gave her daughter a great gift that I've never forgotten.

Aunt Pat gave her daughter a wreath made of cash. I thought it was a great way to give money without just out putting it in a envelope.

Basically what she did was take fifty one dollar bills and folded them in half. She took a wooden wreath (one that looks like it's made from wood chips, like mulch I'm sure you've seen them) With a philips screwdriver, she carefully pushed the cash into the wreath, making it look like a flower. Once all the money is in the wreath, then you can fill in the spaces with fabric squares. This project is easy, fun and makes a great gift. The person you give it to will always remember how much you care and know that the gift was made just for them.

Eagle Feather

Eagle Feather

One year, for my husbands birthday, I decided that I wanted to make something special for him. I'm not much of an expert when it comes to using power tools, but the scroll saw is about the easiest saw out there to use. Using a scroll saw is as easy as cutting on a straight line with scissors.

I bought the pattern from one of those wood working magazines and was determined to make it work. It took two tries, but I finally came up with this great picture, best of all, I made it myself. Ladies, let this be a lesson, we can do ANYTHING!!!

Multi-Strands of color

Multi-Strands of Color

If you're looking to make a quick and easy gift for the woman in your life, consider something like this. It really was quite easy, just choose a couple diferent color beads (4 or 5). make sure they complement each other. When stringing the beads, string two strands of each color, this makes the necklace fuller. This necklace has so many colors that it looks great with anything.

I hope this idea helps you give the perfect gift!

GUYS: HINT: Women love jewelry!!!

Pool Shark Etched Mirror

Pool Shark Etched Mirror

If your husband or wife is anything like mine, then you have to contend with a pool playing fenam. What do you get for someone like that? I have the perfect gift idea. Etching glass is really pretty simple. All you need is a great picture and an etching tool. Once you've etched the picture onto your mirror, spray the back with the paint of your choice, then frame it.

This particular frame was made from left over snap-together flooring. Recycling is so easy and can be done with just about anything.

Reader's Digest Revamp

Reader's Digest Revamp

If you're like the rest of us, you have millions of magazines laying around the house. I have no idea what to do with the old magazines that I buy, but I don't want to throw them away either. I have a great way to use up those old reader's Digest magazines that would make a great gift.

Take the magazine and open it to the middle. Glue the pages together on each side of the book, making sure to roll a couple of the corners up. Once the glue is dry, paint the book gold, and attach a poem or romantic saying. If you put it on a book stand, it looks great and best of all you have done your part in the recycling game.

Turquoise Necklace

Turquoise Necklace If you're looking for a great gift idea, or maybe just a new item for your collection, you can make this great necklace pretty easy. I made a necklace for a friend and had these beads left over, with just the addition of the pendant, I managed to come up with this great design. It's pretty amazing what you can do with leftovers! I hope this necklace inspires you to get out there and create!!!!

Carousel Mirror

Carousel Mirror

When it comes to Christmas and Birthday's, I have always made a special gift for my loved ones. It gets hard to come up with new ideas every time. One of the projects my husband and I have started doing is glass etching. It's pretty simple to etch glass either with etching cream or with an electric etcher. We have taken the etching a step further and began etching on the back of mirrors. It looks great and you can personalize any one of them to fit your needs. This Carousel Horse is one of our finished projects. Give it a try, it's easy.

Wood Burning Is Fun

Wood Burning Is Fun

When you're looking for a recycling idea, you might want to give wood burning a try. Wood burning is easy and quite fun to do. Some people say that the smell of the wood burning smells like popcorn. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that the fumes can cause headaches if you breath it in for a long period of time. To avoid headaches, just do the burning outside or in a room with a fan.

This wonderful wood burning is an example of the beautiful results you can receive with just a little bit of patience and dedication (since this "sofa sized" picture took over 60 hours to burn).

Don't let trying something new intimidate you, Wood burning is just as easy as coloring a picture with crayons, except the "crayons" are 900 degrees. Get out there and BURN!

Family Calendar

Family Calendar

Every year, I struggle to come up with Christmas gift Ideas for my family. A couple of years ago, I came up with the perfect Gift, A family Calendar.


Now in December I send out 10 custom calendars, complete with holidays and Birthdays for every family member.


The first year, I made the theme "comics", Since then, the calendars have become more personal. All year I collect the pictures everyone sends me (Holiday, Vacation, Birthday, etc.) and about 6 weeks before Christmas I began making my yearly masterpiece.


This is a great way to give the gift that everyone will use 365 days of the year.

This is My page for December 2008. My theme this year was Poems.